The Hunger Games Peeta's POV
by obeykatniss
Summary: Have you read the first hunger games through Katniss's Eyes but always wondered what Peeta was thinking? Well if you did then this story is about how peeta really feels about her. This is the 74th Hunger games through peeta's eyes as he struggles to help keep her alive. Also read about how the old team is holding up. Catching fire out soon!
1. The reaping

p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"The Hunger Games/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Peeta's POV/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"By obeykatniss/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Chapter 1/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"_/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock buzzing telling me that it's time to go work at the bakery. I love working at the bakery. The feeling of icing cakes and knowing that our costumers are satisfied makes me so happy you would think im high all of the time. But im not, im just happy to satisfy people./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I wash my face and brush my teeth. I change into a plain white shirt and jeans with holes in the knees. No point in dressing up until the reaping it's the way for the capital to punish us for "rebelling" on the people that feed us and take care of us. Well that's bullshit./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"More like the people who starve us and kill us in the games and the worst part of it all is forcing innocent little children into the games. Well, almost all innocent children are in the games. They also force us to live in horrible places where we are left to fend for ourselves and half of us will be lucky if we get to have half a raisin one day. I'm just lucky i live in town, where all of the shops are. We don't starve to death like the others, but we don't eat and live like kings either The people who live in the seam couldn't afford to live in town./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Like Katniss everdeen. She is fierce and smart. All I know about her is the stuff that my parents tell me, my father told me that once he fell in love with her mother but she went after a man who could make all of the birds stop singing. And my mother knows this, and hates him and her mother for it. But to be honest she hates everything. But with a little investigating I found out that her father died in a mine explosion when she was 12 and she hangs around Gale who, I think is her boyfriend. He must be the luckiest man alive. He gets to date Katniss, and I respected my most of district twelve since his father also died in the explosion./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Even though she is sixteen and he is eighteen. If Katniss was not taken, I still would never ask her out. Too shy I guess./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"As I walk into the bakery I see Gale trading my dad a squirrel for some bread. My father gives him a whole loaf. Since today is reaping day, sympathy is all around./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Even though this is his last year in the games, until the quarter quell next year since you never know what could happen. I catch his eye as he walks out. He scowls at me. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"What the hell did I do now?/em I think./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Good morning Peeta." my father says to me as my brothers /spanspan style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Rye/spanspan style="font-size: 20.0pt;" and Evan walk in talking about girls. I only liked one girl, even though lots of others have noticed me. "Good morning...I guess." I answer. "What's up 'Lil bro?" Evan says as he ruffles my hair. He's lucky since he is too old to be in the games. We all become silent as my mother walks downstairs./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Well? Aren't you going to start working? You have always been so lazy. How and why would I ever have married a slob like you and had three lazy children?" my mother demands. That was so hurtful my father shows it on his face but my mother remains strong./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"We all start doing our jobs as I begin to wonder if my mother will ever change. That's why my father married her. He said that everyone can change and he believes she can. I start icing cakes and putting flowers and little decorations on them./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"After a while we all go to get ready. I put on a white shirt with a black vest and black dress pants. My father lets me use his shoes he got from his parents for his reapings. I think of this as a father son moment but my father looks on the verge of breaking so I just hug him tight and tell him I'll be okay./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"We all head to the square for the reaping. Im praying so much that Katniss doesn't get picked. It's not like she couldn't win. She has skills from being in the woods that would help her so much. If I get picked I wouldn't stand a chance. I have no skills at all. Unless they count baking. Which they don't./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"As my family splits up to there section separated by age, I spot Katniss consoling her sister, prim. It must be her first time. The reapings start at age twelve so enjoy it while you can. I think back to my first time. I was scared as shit. As we all get into place our escort Effie Trinket seems chirpy as usual./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Well I am very excited to be here!" she says im surprised she is since we are one of the shittier districts. I am almost too sure she's lying. But the capital was always confusing. so you can never tell. "So before we start let's watch out honorary video!" she says. As I drown out the video which is shown at every reaping, I realize that I worried about Katniss so much I forgot about me. Which is usual because I don't like to be selfish. So I worry about rye and prims sake./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"As I tune back in I see that she has already made it to the girls bowl "Ladies first! Remember that boys!" she says. As she picks up the name I think please don't be Katniss please don't be Katniss please don't be Katniss. She reads the name and I sigh of relief. Wait. Shit! She called prims name! Wait there is no way she is going to stand for this because Katniss's family matters to her more than her own life, so I know what she is going to do and I have to stop her. Before I can say anything as I suspected, Katniss volunteers for her./span/p 


	2. Goodbyes and new beginnings

**Chapter 2 **  
prim starts shouting and crying and katniss walks up to the stage. Effie goes on about how she has to wait until the proper time and the mayer just says whatever  
"Prim let go." Katniss says with intensity in her voice, probably not wanting to sound weak. "Let go!" she yells. Gale comes and grabs prim from off of her.  
"up you go catnip" gale says unsteadily. This is the closest Ive ever seen him to crying.  
"well then!" Effie says. "Oh the excitement of the games! Now whats your name?"  
"Katniss Everdeen." She says with such confidence that i was shocked.  
"I bet my buttons that was your sister!" Effie exclaims. "Lets give a round of applause to our newest tribute!"  
not one person claps. they all stare at her and Put three fingers to their lips and hold it out to her. its an old gesture i think  
"Oh what an exciting day!But its not over yet. Time to choose our boy tribute  
she says so excited about this that the rest of us just glare at her. She zips over to the boys ball and grabs the one on top.  
"Peeta Mellark." She says. wait thats my name. Dammit!  
I'm trying to make my face show no emotion but im so shocked that i walk up stage and don't even know it. When Effie asks for volunteers. no one steps up. Evan is too old to volunteer and Ryan just stands there shocked but does not volunteer. I feel like jumping off a cliff but instead i just shake katniss's hand and see that in her dark Grey seam eyes she is surprised. I give her a squeeze and turn around to face the crowd as the anthem plays.  
The peace keeps take us to two rooms with red velvet curtains and a rich green carpet and three couches. As my two brothers bust into the room i start to cry and they just hug me and say sorry.I just need to know something  
"Rye, why didn't you volunteer. not that i would want to put you in danger since they pulled my name not yours."  
"Peeta this is why i hate you." Rye jokes. "your just so positive about everything and i didn't volunteer because mother said that if i did she would make sure you never felt anything again." Wow. Who knew that my mother could be so ruthless. Oh wait. I did.  
"Peeta im so sorry.I would have volunteered but..." Evan says.  
He couldn't volunteer because he is nineteen but i think he's just saying that. "It's okay." I assure him. We hug for a few seconds then peace keeps come to take them out.  
My father comes in next with my mother.  
"Peeta im so sorry my son." My father gets out. " We hug and he gives me a ring that says, "forever son". "Thanks dad." I say.  
"Well with one less person in the house im sure things will be a lot easier"  
My mother says. "How could you be so heartless to say that when you will never see me again?" I say. "You've always been a bitch to me and im nothing but nice and respectful back. but now ive had enough and want to say fuck you mother and tell the boys i said goodbye." My father looks shocked and my mother just says, "You're right. You don't stand a chance but maybe finally district twelve will have a winner. She's a fighter that one."  
The peace keepers come and my mother laughs hysterically as she leaves.  
after a while my friend Delly Cartwright my friend since preschool came in and just hugged me.  
"Peeta I'm so-" I just cut her off.  
"If you're gonna say im sorry i don't really want to hear that after my last conversation..." I say  
"Peeta im sor-er- um i can't think of a substitute but you know what im was gonna say. please try and come home!"  
I just laugh. "Delly i think we both know this is no way i will come back home. But katniss could."  
"Peeta don't be coy. You could come back. just... promise me you will try?"  
"Okay." I could at least try.  
The peace keepers return and Delly leaves. No one else comes so i just sit on the couch and cry out all of my tears and problems. The peace keeps come to escort me and i don't even bother to wipe my tears away as i see katniss and her face looks like she is bored? I imagine Gale saying all of that sappy love shit to her. as i get on the train, my goodbyes still hanging on my lips i take a seat as the train starts to move and it takes my breath away.  
"where's Haymitch?" Effie says brightly  
"The last time i saw him he said he was gonna take a nap." I say  
"Well it has been an exhausting day."  
I think she's relieved by Haymitch's absence but who can blame her?  
dinner comes in courses. A thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chops , mash potatoes, cheese and fruit platter with chocolate cake. Effie keeps reminding us too save room because theres more to come. Ive never had rich food like this before. Everything we eat is stale or old stuff that nobody buys.  
"well at least you two have decent manners." Effie says. being a baker i have proper manners and I'm sure katniss's mother taught her to eat properly. The pair last year were from the seam i think. Since being from the seam they have never had enough food to eat.  
I know this upsets katniss because she eats the rest of the meal with her finger and wipes her hands on the table cloth.  
when i finish my food i can barely keep it down.i feel a battle happening its my stomach versus my food and my food is winning. i see katniss looking a little green too. neither of us is used to such rich fare.  
after dinner we go and watch the recap of the reapings. a few stand out like a huge volunteer from district 2, a girl with bright red hair from district 5 and a twelve year old from district 11. After we finish watching all of the reapings, Effie goes on and on about how Haymitch needs to lean manners.  
"He's drunk every year." I say.  
"Everyday." Katniss adds with a smirk.  
"How odd you too find it funny. you know you mentor is your life in the games. once you are in the arena you must depend on sponsors and Haymitch gets those sponsors for you. He makes the difference between like and death! So laugh away! Effie says as Haymitch comes in then throws up on the floor and falls in it. Effie looks disgusted then walks away.


	3. The not so great deal

**Chapter 3**  
For a few moments Katniss and I Take in the scene of out mentor trying to get up out of the slippery vile stuff from his stomach. The reek of spirits and vomit makes me want to throw up too, but i hold it in.  
"I tripped?" Haymitch asks. "Smells bad." He wipes his hand on him face only making a bigger mess.  
"Let's get you back to your room." I say. "Clean you up a bit."  
we half lead half carry Haymitch back to his room. Since we can't really Set him down on his bed, We take him to the bathroom and put him in the tub and turn the shower on and it sprays cool water on him. He must be really drunk because he doesn't even notice.  
"It's okay I'll take it from here." I say. I guess i kinda think it would be awkward for katniss and from the look on her face she seems like she was waiting for me to say that. Plus he's so drunk he won't even remember this tomorrow.  
"Alright. I can send one of the capital people to help you." She says.  
"Nahh i don't want them." I kinda want to talk to Haymitch about the games. Even if he is drunk. As she leaves i close the door behind us.  
"Listen Haymitch." I start. "I want to do everything I can to protect Katniss even if it means to take my life."  
"Woooow" Haymitch says. "You must really love her"  
"yeah I do."  
"Well if you want to protect her then you need to..." He pauses to throw up again. "You need to join the people who are the strongest in the games."  
I understand what he is saying.  
"So you want me to join the careers?"  
I say just to make sure. He nods his head more times than i think he wants to.  
"But how will i get in with them? You saw me at the reaping. I was a freaking mess!" I exclaim.  
"Just show them your strengths and you'll be fine boy" He says.  
He gives very good advice for a drunk guy.  
He leans his head back and passes out.  
I clean him up and as weird as it was, i put him in new clothes and put him under his covers.  
When i get back to my room i notice that the train has stopped for fuel.  
I decide to just head to bed and as I'm trying to fall asleep i start to think about my family back home in district twelve. Rye is probably just playing video games on a small console my father got us as a present with his friends not bothering to think about me and Evan is no doubt with his girlfriend. My father will be closing up the bakery just about mother will be staring at the photo of her mother and father.  
From what i know, Her mother was in one of the previous games and she died because she was so eager to get her hands on a weapon the she stepped off her plate early and was blown to bits.  
Unlike my mother, she was kind but deadly. My mother told us that if you did something bad, You are not going to get away without a slap on the wrist or worse. I guess thats where my mother gets her fierceness from.  
I drift off thinking about what Haymitch said.  
"Up up up! It's going to be a big big big day!" Effie says as she knows on my door.  
I groan as i sit up and rub the sleep out of my eyes.  
I ruffle my hair and just slide my hand back on my head and my hair looks okay enough for me to wear. I put on a black shirt with gray jeans. As i get ready i wonder if Haymitch has woken up yet. When i go to the dining car i see that he is already there. Effie orders coffee as i sit down next to Haymitch.  
"So boy since you loove Katniss." Haymitch says in the way that a teenage girl would. "We need to talk strategy."  
Shit. I was hoping he would have forgotten that. Effie looks over at me with her eyebrows raised as i blush, looking embarrassed. I am served a huge variety of meals and i see this brown liquid and i drank it dipping bread into it as Katniss walks in.  
"sit down sit down!" Haymitch insists.  
As soon as she sits down she is served with a hug plate of different foods. She stares at the brown cup.  
"they call it hot chocolate." I say dippings more bread into it. She takes a sip and doesn't stop until l she has drained the whole cup.  
As im dipping the bread into the cup of hot chocolate I notice That Katniss sits back and starts to eye Haymitch. _Did he tell her about what i said?_ I think.  
No. He could not have. There was no time where haymitch and Katniss were alone after i told him.  
"You're supposed to give us advice." Katniss says.  
"Here's some advice. Stay alive!" Haymitch says as he bursts out laughing.  
If Haymitch is going to help me keep Katniss alive then he need to be useful and not so drunk he can't even stand the hell up. Katniss and i exchange a look. suddenly i feel so enraged that i say, "That's very funny." In a sarcastic voice and lash out my hand and his drink crashes to the ground soaking the carpet with red. "Only not to us."  
Haymitch looks at me for a second then punches me in the jaw. I am knocked to the ground. As i struggle to get up i see that as Haymitch reaches for the bottle of spirits Katniss has driven her knife between the bottle and his hand, barely missing his fingers.  
"Well whats this?" Haymitch says. "Did i actually get a pair of fighters this year?"  
I rise off the floor and scoop up a handful of ice from the fruit tureen.  
"No, let the bruise show. The audience will think you mixed up with another tribute before you even made it to the arena." Haymitch says.  
"But isn't that against the rules?" I ask.  
"Only if they catch you. The bruise will say you fought and you were not caught which is even better."  
"And you." Haymitch says to Katniss. "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"  
I know that katniss is very familiar with knives because Ive seen her hit the squirrels she trades with my dad dead in the eye.  
She stands up and pulls the knife out of the table. She throws the knife into the middle of the two seems of the wall.  
Wow she's good i think. Even though i already know that.  
"Stand over here both of you." Haymitch says. Maybe he thinks we actually have a chance to win the games. Well Katniss that is. I'll be lucky if i even make it past the blood bath.  
"You seem fit. But once the stylists get a hold of you you'll be attractive enough." Haymitch states.  
"Okay. I'll make a deal with you." Haymitch says. "You don't interfere with my drinking and i will stay sober enough to help you."  
Sure, its not much of a deal but is alright.  
"Fine." I say.  
"So help us. When we get to the arena, whats the best-"  
"One thing at a time. We will be in the capital soon and do not resist your stylist. no matter what." Haymitch says.  
"But-" Katniss starts.  
"No buts. don't resist." Haymitch says as he walks out of the room.  
Suddenly we are in a dark tunnel and i see katniss start to look worried.  
When we get out of the tunnel We both run to the window as we see the capital, For the first time, In real life instead of on our TV's.


	4. prep teams and awkward moments

div style="border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 3.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: wave windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: wave windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: #00ccff;"AU/ Sorry that I want posting guys our Internet /span/strongstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: blue;"was/span/strongstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: blue;"down and we had to fix it and I use the/span/strongstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: purple;"upstairs computer to write my stories but our/span/strongstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: fuchsia;"Internet box broke and my dad was always using/span/strongstrong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt; color: lime;"the downstairs computer so sorry!/span/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: wave windowtext 3.0pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/strong/p  
/div  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I walk into a room as prep team or three slaves to me, or in this case I am the slave and the capital is beating me down./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"They greet me as I see they are the weirdest people I have ever seen./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Sure, Ive seen the capital people any stylist before on camera but never have I seen them in person, or even gone to the capital since it is forbidden for the districts to travel to the capital except to be killed in the games. Even Effie doesn't wear as much make up as these guys./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"As they say their names I am glad my mother and father named me after what I love most, pita, which is a type of bread. Our names sound the same but aren't spelled the same. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Victoria/spanspan style="font-size: 20.0pt;" is a really skinny woman who is so skinny you would think all she eats for breakfast is a bowl of grain. Her hair is purple, blue and flowing down her back so that it almost touches the end of her spine, which I can clearly see. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"But knowing these capital people you never know what to except./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Aiden is a tall wide man. He has a scrunchy beard and dark yellow eyes like a cat. The people in the capital hate being fat. They act as if it is a sin. But so is killing kids for your entertainment but they seem to have forgotten that. Being raised the way I was I don't care how people look but this is the capital./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"Pollur, is short man with huge ears and a pierced tongue. His eyebrows are so thick when you look at him, that's the first thing you see. His skin is very light it looks as if he is a vampire. I guess that's what he was going for./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I get undressed as they ask me to. It is a little bit weird at first, but I remember they are just here to dress me up for slaughter. They shave my chest hair, which was really just six or seven curly blonde hairs. But I still felt like a man with them though. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"They put me in this bath of stuff is supposed to make my skin Smoother and get rid of dirt. It burns at first, like fire but then it just feels like alcohol an open cut then just an oven burn./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I get put in two more baths of mystery stuff and get waxed and shaved in so many places that when I finally meet my stylist I just want to rest. But I know I must not rest until I have gone through what the capital makes me do. /spanemspan style="font-size: 20.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: FangSong;"It's so disgusting what the capital thinks of us. There mortal slaves/span/emspan style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I think. As my prep team leaves I stand there awkwardly as my stylist scans me. My cheeks get red as a cherry when I see her eyes stop right below my waist and hang there for a little bit. She sees me blushing and smiles a little half smile. emdoes she wanna do me?/em i think but quickly cross that out of my mind. she would never she is from the capital, but different than those freaks./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Ah don't worry kid I've seen a good bit of those in my life and trust me, I won't be trying anything."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"She gives me a wink then laughs. All I can get out is a ha before she starts talking. Shit. Curse the blood flow to my cheeks. I decide to go ahead and like her./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Well im Portia, in case you want to know and I am your stylists so if you would just grab your robe and meet me in the lounge that would be nice. And in case you think that was a joke, that was actually a command." She says "seriously though get in here."/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;"I do as she says and grab my robe and follow her into the lounge as we sit down she presses button and food appears on the table. It is rice with thick rich gravy poured carefully onto it and a roll, like the one I saw on the train. It is made of the capitals stuff not the cheap ass grain that we make, well the stuff that doesn't come from district eleven. There is fruit and sauce and many other things that I will be to full to try. But I will try them. We start to eat and I say the first thing since I met my prep team./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Is it your first time?" I ask./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Nahh I was a stylists last year but apparently they got a better one so I was moved to district twelve." She says. Most stylists get moved to district twelve since we don't really have the most amazing district/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""I will make this the best year ever for district twelve. Since Cassandra wants to take my job over district one then she will have to face defeat. That wont be hard since Cinna is very creative when it comes to things." She smiles mischievously./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""What's up?" I ask. What is she thinking about? Me being naked again so she can take a picture and show it to her friends? I know she was just kidding with that but I just cant seem to let it go./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;""Peeta, are you afraid of fire?"/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 20.0pt;" /span/p 


End file.
